Earth ChangesS


Seismograph

7.1 magnitude earthquake hits Vanuatu, triggers tsunami warning

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A 7.1 magnitude quake struck south of Vanuatu on Thursday, the United States Geological Survey said, triggering a tsunami warning.

USGS initially reported a magnitude of 7.3 and a depth of 35 kilometres, but soon revised its report.

The offshore quake hit at 1256 GMT at a depth of 48 kilometres (30 miles), about 123 kilometres south of the town of Isangel and 338 kilometres from the capital Port Vila, USGS said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said "hazardous waves from this earthquake are possible within 300 kilometres of the epicenter along the coasts of Vanuatu and New Caledonia".

Dig

Vehicles disappear under 4 feet of snow in Utah

A vehicle buried in snow in Little Cottonwood
© Luke StoneA vehicle buried in snow in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2023.
Footage taken on Monday shows a number of vehicles buried under more than 4 feet of snow in Little Cottonwood Canyon in northern Utah.

In the video, many of the vehicles appear as large white mounds with only black windshield wipers sticking out of the snow.

People were digging for hours in hopes of freeing the vehicles from the thick layer of snow, according to Luke Stone, who shot the footage.

"Dozens of cars had not moved or been touched since the storm started, so they were totally buried," Stone said.

The early-winter burial began on Friday, when 16.5 inches of snow fell, according to the nearby Alta Ski Resort. On Saturday, 20 additional inches fell, followed by 19 more inches on Sunday.


Comment: Related: Utah ski resorts pummeled with feet of snow


Fish

Thousands of dead fish wash up on beach in northern region of Japan

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Thousands of dead fish mysteriously wash up along the coast of northern Japan. A video showing the lifeless fish being washed onto the shore has surfaced on X, formerly twitter.

People on the social media platform have reacted to the viral video. "Something fishy is going on", wrote one user.

Another raised concerns and said if the phenomenon had anything to do with the nuclear waste dumped in the ocean.

While another deemed it as a sign of an earthquake.

The real cause of the fish fatalities remains unknown.


Doberman

Pit bull dog attacks, kills 89-year-old owner in Logansport, Indiana

PIT BULL ATTACK
An 89-year-old woman died Wednesday after her pit bull attacked her in her rural home, the Cass County sheriff says.

The county coroner declared Beverly Hayden died at her home after the dog's attack.

Sheriff Edward Schroder said in a social media post that a "large-scale search" for the dog that included a drone from the Logansport Police Department was unsuccessful.

First responders were called about 5:50 a.m. Tuesday to her home in the 200 block of County Road 400 West. That's off U.S. 42 about 3 miles west of the Cass County city of Logansport.


Cloud Precipitation

Floods in Washington and Oregon after atmospheric river dumps record rain - 8.6 inches in 24 hours

Floods in Snohomish County, Washington State,
© Snohomish County Sheriffs OfficeFloods in Snohomish County, Washington State, USA, December 2023.
A powerful atmospheric river brought record rainfall to parts of Washington and Oregon states in the Pacific Northwest of the USA from 04 December 2023.

As of 05 December, two fatalities were reported. Dozens of homes have been flooded and several people rescued, including some by Coast Helicopter teams.

Rain and Rivers

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Seattle reported significant rainfall totals in various parts of Western Washington, including the Olympic National Park which recorded 8.67 inches / 220.22 mm of rain in 24 hours to 05 December 2023. Weather stations at Hoodsport and Duvall both recorded 7.12 inches / 180.85 mm during the same period.


Igloo

Best of the Web: Leading Russian polar scientist: Cooling begins in 2030...Climate crisis a 'Globalist Scam'

IceAge
© Iceagenow
A top polar scientist interviewed by the Russian Academy of Sciences says we need to prepare for serious global cooling, to begin by 2030-2035. Cites studies of Lake Baikal and historic climate epochs.

People's Voice here reports: "One of the world's top Arctic scientist's has spoken out to debunk the 'climate crisis' narrative" and warns the public that "the Earth is actually about to enter a period of 'global cooling.'"

According to leading polar scientist Andrey Fedotov of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), "the warming is about to end" and "The Earth is about to enter an 'ice age.'"

Cooling starts in 2030

The period of "unfavorable cold" will begin around 2030. Fedotov issued the warning in a statement published by the RAS, the country's leading scientific institution.

Fedotov said the warming is about to end and the cause is not humans. The Russian scientist says the cooling will be brought on by solar activity.

Fire

Mount Marapi: Eleven hikers killed as volcano erupts in Indonesia - death toll increases to 22 (UPDATE)

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Eleven hikers have been found dead near the crater of Indonesia's Mount Marapi volcano after it erupted over the weekend, rescuers say.

Twelve others are missing and the search was suspended on Monday after another, smaller eruption.

There were 75 hikers in the area during the main eruption on Sunday but most were safely evacuated.

Marapi spewed a 3km (9,800ft) ash cloud into the air, dimming the sky and blanketing surrounding villages in ash.

It is among the most active of Indonesia's 127 volcanoes and is also popular among hikers. Some trails reopened only last June due to ash eruptions from January to February. Marapi's deadliest eruption occurred in 1979, when 60 people died.

Three people were rescued near the crater on Monday before the search was suspended. They were "weak and had some burns", said Abdul Malik, head of the Padang Search and Rescue Agency.


Comment: Update December 5

The BBC reports:
The death toll from a volcanic eruption in Indonesia has gone up to 22, after rescuers found nine more bodies.

The search for the 10 missing hikers on Mount Marapi resumed on Tuesday after being paused due to safety worries.

Officials said that nine bodies had been recovered by afternoon, with one of them still missing. Twelve other injured hikers are undergoing treatment in hospital.

Frequent volcanic eruptions in Marapi have hampered rescue efforts for days.

Ahmad Rifandi, head of Marapi's monitoring post, told AFP news agency that five eruptions had been recorded on Tuesday alone.

"Marapi is still very much active. We can't see the height of the column because it's covered by the cloud," he said.

Rescuers told BBC News Indonesia they have been taking advantage of windows of relative calm to look for the missing and efforts to look for the last missing hiker would resume on Wednesday.



Snowflake Cold

Temperatures in Siberia dip to minus 56 Celsius as record snow blankets Moscow

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Temperatures in parts of Siberia plummeted to minus 56 degrees Celsius on Monday while blizzards blanketed Moscow in record snowfall and disrupted flights as winter weather swept across Russia.

In the Sakha Republic, located in the north-eastern part of Siberia and home to Yakutsk, one of the world's coldest cities, temperatures fell below minus 50 degrees, according to the region's weather stations.

In Oymyakon, an area in Sakha, the temperature was recorded at minus 56 degrees Celsius on Monday evening.

Russian forecasters said it would feel like more than minus 60 degrees Celsius in Oymyakon given the wind and humidity and that temperatures would fall further overnight.


Doberman

Boy killed after being mauled by 2 dogs in Portland, Oregon

dog attack
A six-year-old boy was killed and a woman was injured after a mauling attack in a Portland home, authorities said.

On Tuesday morning Portland Police responded to reports of a dog attack, police said in a statement.

Upon arriving at the home, officers discovered that a pair of dogs, believed to be Great Dane-Mastiff mixes, mauled the young boy and the woman as she tried to stop the attack, police said.

The boy was pronounced dead at the scene and the woman was taken to a local hospital to treat minor injuries, according to police.


Cloud Lightning

Man killed instantly after being struck by lightning at child's birthday party in Argentina

Victor Lescano died after he was struck by lightning at the party
Victor Lescano died after he was struck by lightning at the party
A man was killed instantly when a bolt of lightning struck an open air birthday party injuring three others.

Victor Lescano died after the thunderstorm hit the gathering in Puma Husai, Argentina, on Sunday. Guests were celebrating a 15-year-old's birthday at the time when storm clouds rolled in, sending everyone running for cover.

The 26-year-old was hit by a bolt of electricity in the storm, Argentinian media reports, alongside three other guests at the party. Mr Lescano was rushed to hospital but sadly declared dead upon arrival.

One other guest, Betiana Orona, 23, was treated in hospital but two others needed only first aid. Lescano's sister Yani Lescano posted a tribute to her brother, writing on Facebook: "Fly high, may the light that has no end shine on you.

"My tears are unstoppable. Give me the strength to continue. I'm going to miss you every day of my life." Police and prosecutor Lorena Belkis Alderete are investigating the death, according to local media.